


The Beginning of Us

by FairyTaleAdventures



Category: The Good Doctor (TV 2017)
Genre: 2x12 continuation, Aftermath, F/M, domestic Audrey and Neil, there is literally no plot to this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-23
Updated: 2020-03-23
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:20:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,081
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23274625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FairyTaleAdventures/pseuds/FairyTaleAdventures
Summary: I realised there was a scene or two missing in episode 2x12 (the Aftermath episode where they confess their feelings for one another in Neil's office), so I decided to write a continuation.
Relationships: Audrey Lim/Neil Melendez
Comments: 2
Kudos: 44





	The Beginning of Us

**Author's Note:**

> For some reason I found this so bloody hard to write - most likely due to the reduction of social interaction I've experienced these past few weeks, but nonetheless, I couldn't give up and somehow I ended up with this as the finished product. Enjoy!

“Goodnight Neil.”

“Goodnight Audrey.” 

Neil watches as she shuffles out of his office, unable to contain the smile plastered on his face. After many years of successfully avoiding their romantic feelings for one another, always changing the subject whenever the conversation was headed into intimate territory and never allowing their gazes to linger longer than deemed friendly, they finally broke through the imaginary barrier they had unconsciously agreed upon and acted on their attraction.

While they may have mutually agreed to place the blame on a little too much bourbon coupled with a lot of pent up stress, their one night of passion was so much more than just that.

Neil had known about his budding feelings for his friend for a while now. Their playful banter, along with their competitive nature had always been fuelled by their underlying fascination with one another. It is what made their competition for Chief of Surgery so complicated. He wanted the position. He knew he would be exceptional at it, but he also knew Audrey. She was brilliant and unreservedly career driven. This is something no one could deny. She treats every obstacle like a challenge and faces it head on without the slightest bit of hesitation. The promotion would have been something she gave herself fully to and undoubtedly excelled at. 

But it also would have had an impact on their relationship which is why the selfish part of him was glad neither of them had actually gotten it. Deep down, he was worried about what the addition of a power imbalance would have on their friendship. They had already been at each other’s throats just at the possibility of one of them working over the other. 

And the idea of losing his partner terrifies him. 

Busying himself with paperwork, Neil takes his time finishing up some last minute files. Typically, he would take the tedious administrative work home with him and finish it while eating dinner, but tonight he wanted to take advantage of the lack of staff. He glances at the clock hung in the corner of his office. It reads 7:50 which means the afternoon nurses are getting ready to clock out for the night. This would give him a solid twenty minutes to make a quick stop by Audrey’s room to check in on her one last time before the night nurses began their shift and suspected anything out of the ordinary. 

Throughout his day, he had been continuously drawn to her room, finding it difficult to carry on about his responsibilities as normal without confirmation she was alive and well. Most of the time he never went in. After the trauma her body had endured, she was tired, both mentally and physically. She needed the rest and he didn’t want to disturb her. Plus, he was beginning to think Audrey’s main nurse was starting to get suspicious after catching him coming out of her room twice in the same hour. The second time she caught him, her hands were on her hips and she was shaking her head in disapproval. Neil simply greeted her with a sheepish grin before quickly heading off down the hall. “Don’t let it happen again” the nurses expression read. From that point on, he would casually walk by her room and take a quick peek at her vitals displayed on the monitor before moving on to where he was supposed to be.

Placing the documents in the top drawer of his desk, he grabs his coat and car keys and makes his way to Audrey’s room. He glances around the corner to look for any signs that Audrey’s nurse was still on shift. When he is confident he will not be caught, he makes his move. 

Not bothering to knock, Neil slips through her ajar door and carefully shuts it behind him, attentive not to disturb her. However, his actions are needless as he finds her standing by the side of the hospital bed, back to the door, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, shoving the files she had been working on earlier into her bag. 

“What are you doing?” Neil asks.

She turns around startled, as if she has just been caught doing something forbidden, but when she notices it's him, her face visibly relaxes. 

“I’m going home,” she states simply, like it is obvious.

“What do you mean you're going home?” He walks up beside her. Not close enough to where he is touching her, but close enough that she can feel the warmth of having him so immediately close. “You almost died two days ago.”

She flinches at his comment which does not go unnoticed by Neil, but he chooses not to address it. “These beds are uncomfortable and I cannot sleep with the nurses coming in every two hours to check in on me.”

“And how are you planning on getting home?” He’s not angry, just confused.

She shrugs. “The buses do run this late you know.”

“Audrey,” her name escapes his lips like a plea. “I almost lost you.”

Her face softens at his words. Over the chaos brought upon by the lockdown, her illness, followed by many examinations and collection of samples, she hadn’t even stopped to consider how Neil had been affected. They hadn’t discussed it during their brief conversations throughout the day. But now, looking at his eyes which are filled with so much emotion that can only be described as distress, she realises, he has been hurting, and she was likely the cause of most of that pain, even if it wasn’t her intention. 

“Come home with me.” Audrey gives him an incredulous look which prompts him to add, “just so you have someone there with you in case you need anything throughout the night.”

She begins to protest but he continues before she can speak. “If you want, I’ll sleep on the couch.” Taking a small step closer to her, he places his hand on top of hers which had been absentmindedly tugging at the zipper of her backpack. “If we’re going to do this relationship thing, we’re going to do this right.”

Audrey takes a moment to consider her options. He is right after all. She was still incredibly weak and it would not be a good idea to go home to an empty apartment with no one close by in case of an emergency. And staying the night at Neil’s was definitely a better option than spending one more night in the hospital. He would make sure she felt safe and comfortable and most importantly, he would know how to care for her in the event she did need assistance. 

“Okay” Audrey nods.

He grins. “Great. I’ll go grab the car and meet you by the main entrance.” As he starts for the door, he lightly squeezes her forearm as a gesture of gratitude. 

“Wait Neil.” He pauses. “Meet me by the door by the back entrance.”

He nods in understanding before leaving her alone to fill out the discharge papers. 

oOo

When Neil finally pulls into his driveway later that evening, Audrey’s eyes are closed. He takes a moment to take in her appearance. It is the first time since the incident where he really gets a chance to observe her. She looks exhausted. Her head is tilted back against the headrest in fatigue and the light emitting from his front porch highlights the little crease above her eyebrow, indicating she is still in a substantial amount of pain. However, it is the lack of colour present in her face that worries him the most. Audrey was typically vocal when it came to expressing her wants and needs, except for when she was in a state of distress. He knew she was downplaying her symptoms and was suddenly extremely glad she had agreed to go home with him.

As he makes a move to nudge her awake, Audrey opens her eyes. 

“I’m not sleeping, just resting my eyes.”

He laughs as he takes off his seatbelt and rushes around the car to open the door for her. Grabbing the backpack off her lap, he slings it on his shoulder before holding out his hand. She gratefully accepts his gesture and allows him to help her from the passenger's seat. Wincing as she stands, she takes a second to compose herself as a rush of dizziness washes over her. 

“All good?” Neil asks after the discomfort displayed on her face subsides. 

“All good.”

He lets her loop her hand through his arm for support as they slowly walk the few short steps to his front door. After getting the door unlocked, he places her bag at the entrance and helps her shrug off her jacket. 

“Do you want to shower?” 

“I think it would be best. I haven’t showered in days and I’d hate for you to have to sleep beside someone who smells like a hospital patient.”

“You mean you’re alright with me staying with you?”

She shrugs. “It’s your bed. It wouldn’t be fair for you to have to spend the night on your couch because of me.” She turns away for his bedroom, but he catches her arm, turning her to face him. 

“Audrey,” his face is serious. “It was a genuine offer. I don’t want you to do anything you don’t feel comfortable doing.” He knows she is cautious in situations like this and he really is determined to make their relationship work. If this means taking things slow for a little while, he is alright with that.

“I want to,” she confirms. “Plus the whole point of me being here is for you to take care of me in case anything goes wrong during the night. You can’t do that from the couch.” 

“Okay,” he smiles, releasing her arm. “I’ll be up in a bit.”

Once Neil hears the shower start, he makes way for the kitchen to make himself a quick snack and grab something for Audrey in case she was also feeling a little ravenous. He settles on a banana and a glass of water as he is certain her appetite still hadn’t fully returned.

When he gets to his room, Neil is pleased to hear the water still running. Audrey needs this time to destress and he is glad she is allowing herself the time to do just that. 

After placing the items he brought her on the bedside table, he grabs the plastic bag containing her medication which is peeking out the side of her backpack. He reads the dosage on the side of the container and situates the right amount beside her water, making sure to leave the bottle on the dresser so she doesn’t forget to take it in the morning. 

When Neil hears the water shut off, he quickly changes into something more comfortable and uses his spare bathroom down the hall to perform his typical night-time routine. When he arrives back to the bedroom, she is already sitting on the edge of his bed dressed in the old pair of leggings and t-shirt she always kept at the hospital in case of emergencies. 

She watches him meticulously as he stops to raise the temperature of the thermostat and then continues to walk around the bedroom to tidy disregarded items. When he is confident Audrey has a clear path to his bathroom in case she needs to use it throughout the night, he turns off the lights and gets into his side of the bed. 

Audrey doesn’t move from her sitting position. Instead, she eyes the medication on the bedside table for a brief moment before finally reaching over and taking the pills. 

He waits patiently for her to make the next move. He’s not certain if her hesitation is due to nausea or she is just having second thoughts about coming home with him, but he knows better than to push. However, the longer she’s still, the more worried Neil becomes which prompts him to reach over and run his hand over her back in a comforting manner. 

“All good?” 

She smiles in response, finally making a move to join him under the covers. “All good.”

To the surprise of Neil, she curls up into his side, resting her head on his chest. He welcomes her into his embrace and feels her soften into him. 

For the first time in what feels like forever, they have a moment of peace. 

These past few days have not been easy for either of them. Between the quarantine, Neil’s patient dying on him followed by him breaking the law to resuscitate him, Audrey almost dying, and then them both being hit with an investigation due to unlawful actions, there was a moment where they had both felt all hope slip away.

It is an unsettling thought, Neil realises, to have his place of work, the place where the two of them had spent so much time together, learning and growing beside one another, the place they consider to be their second home, be turned upside down in a matter of hours. There is a certain level of danger that comes with being a surgeon but most of their perils are with aggressive patients or a personal lack of self-care as a result of long hours. The last thing he would ever expect is someone he cares about to be in a quarantine situation. 

Unconsciously, Neil pulls Audrey closer to him. “I was so scared,” he admits. When she raises her head slightly to look at him in the eyes, he continues. “When I saw you on the monitors behind those quarantined doors with the other patients -” His voice falters as he gets lost in his own thoughts. 

“Hey” Audrey’s fingers tap on his chest to bring his attention back to her. “I’m right here” 

Their eyes meet. This is not the first time Neil looks at her with pure adoration, but it is the first time she feels like she deserves it. Neil tilts his head towards her and captures her lips in a light kiss. It feels so natural as their lips fall in sync right away. This is different from their first night together. Their first kiss was messy and desperate filled with fervour as their noses clashed and their hands were everywhere. This was short and sweet as her lungs cannot handle the lack of air in her current condition.

When they break apart, shy smiles play upon both their lips. She returns her head back to his chest and takes advantage of the silence, enjoying the sense of security the thumping of his heart gives her. “You know,” she begins softly. “There was a moment when I really did think I was going to die. I watched Reznick zip up the body bag to that EMT and I thought ‘This is it. This is how I’m going to go.’” She takes a second to allow her words to be appraised. “The thing is, I wasn’t scared.”

“What do you mean?”

“I figured if this is how I was going to die, I’m glad it was doing the thing I am so passionate about.” There is a dismal feeling that hangs in the air as Neil considers her admission. He had never put a lot of thought into it, but he figures that if he did get to choose, he would also choose to spend his last hours fighting to save as many people as he could. It’s in his nature. It’s in their nature. “I would have been sad about one thing though.”

“What’s that?”

“I would have died leaving so much unsaid.” She turns her head to face him again. “My mom, the residents, Glassman,” She pauses before adding, “you.” 

He is not shocked by her confession, but he is shocked that she has the courage to admit it to him.

“When I finally got a moment of solitude,” Neil begins. “I called Reznick. I just wanted to see you, to know you were still alive. I felt so helpless. I couldn’t get to you. I couldn’t help you.” 

“There’s nothing more you could have done for me.”

“I know. I just wanted to be there for you.” There are so many more words stuck in the back of Neils throat and fears that hang heavily in his chest. So much more he wants to tell her. 

“I know you would have if you could.”

He will tell her about them eventually. But right now, they are not ready for that conversation. Right now, they are both exhausted and in need of a good night's rest, free from any unpleasant thoughts. 

Neil can already feel Audrey begin to drift off to sleep as her breaths become more shallow and he can feel the weight of her relaxing into him.

“Hey Neil?”

He hums in response. 

“Can you remind me to call my mom tomorrow?”

It is such an innocent request that has so much depth behind it that it causes Neil’s heart to swell. “Of course.” He places a light kiss on the top of her head. 

This is not how either of them ever imagined their relationship coming together. This is not how either of them wanted it to happen. But they’re content with the idea that throughout all the suffering they have faced, they still found the strength to open their hearts and allow the other in. They know It’s not going to be easy. They will face obstacles that will certainly put their newfound relationship to the test, but in this moment, they can’t be bothered to worry about it. 

The air around them is light. Neil feels the tension in his body dissipate as his head relaxes further into his pillow and his eyes come to rest on the woman in his arms. 

She is already snoring, her usual soft breaths coming out much more raspy. Neil doesn’t mind. It’s a gentle reminder that she is breathing and more importantly, she is safe in his embrace. With her pressed so closely against him, he will undoubtedly wake with any subtle movement throughout the night but he can’t be bothered to care. The movements, coupled with her raspy breaths is all the reassurance he needs to persuade him not to worry. 

“Thank you for staying alive,” Neil whispers into the night. The smile that plays upon her lips confirms all Neil needs to know before he follows her into a dreamless slumber.


End file.
